Anyone Can Play Guitar

Is someone listening in? Today, we round out our discussion on Amnesiac. We find a surprising Brian Eno connection on "Hunting Bears," before spending an inordinate amount of time on "Like Spinning Plates" and "Life in a Glasshouse." Austin finally listens to early Louis Armstrong, while Nick admits to enjoying the music from the latest pop sensation. Plus, we pick out our favorite tracks from the...

Austin and Nick square off again, as they break down the middle of Amnesiac. Nick, once again, starts the episode by stating that the first song sounds like a demo, while Austin tries to convince Nick that this version of "Morning Bell" is better than the one on Kid A. Along the way, the two discuss the legendary Morrissey Night at Sway in Manhattan, before examining how the lyrics of "Knives Out"...

In this week's contentious episode, the two dig into Amnesiac. Austin makes the case that this album is actually better than Kid A, while Nick calls "Packt" Radiohead's least impressive opening track. The majority of time is spent analyzing "Pyramid Song," which leads to a discussion of everything from "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" to Doctor Who. Plus, they manage to discuss The Lord of the Rings and...

Nick and Austin don't need too much wine or sleeping pills to get through the last songs on Kid A. Just get ready for a discussion of old IBM computers, Wagner operas, and Bo Burnham. Nick forces Austin to listen to "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," while they both rave about Alice Coltrane. For some inexplicable reason, the 1997 film Titanic comes up. They end the podcast with their Kid A Awards.  Songs...

The descent into the unconscious continues with a look at Kid A's eclectic middle. Austin escapes reality with "How to Disappear Completely," while Nick finds a way to quote James Joyce twice. They discuss the use of ambient tracks in the rock canon, and ponder if Led Zeppelin was ruined for Austin by the hilariously campy film, "The Song Remains the Same." Along the way they briefly debate how ti...

Season three delves into the wilds of Radiohead's Kid A and Amnesiac. Prepare for multiple semi-serious discussions of the unconscious, the terror of fairy tales, and the late 90s phenomenon of adding a DJ to every rock band. They start by exploring the first three tracks of Kid A, but can you play any of them on guitar? Nick also tries to dispel some common narratives about Kid A, while Austin wa...

Bonus mini episode! Radiohead is getting ready to release Kid A Mnesia, a deluxe version of Kid A and Amnesiac, which also includes a brand new album of alternate versions and outtakes. The first song released from the project, the haunting "If You Say the Word," leads them on a discussion of Neil Young and Dante. Plus, the two discuss how they'll even be able to do a next season, considering that...

To cap off season 2, Nick and Austin tackle the remaining OK Computer b-sides, coming up with a grand theory to explain why some of these songs aren't as impressive as b-sides from The Bends. The two also have very conflicting feelings about the three "new" songs that showed up on OKNOTOK, the 20th anniversary edition of OK Computer. Did the band rerecord them in 2015? Fortunately, the episode end...

With OK Computer finished, it's time to dig into the b-sides, starting with the "Airbag / How Am I Driving" EP. This Grammy-nominated collection features a wide range of material. While some are still beloved, the two find that others haven't held up as well as they had hoped. Austin thinks "Polyethylene Part 1" is one of the best 30 seconds of Radiohead's catalog, while Nick thinks that "Part 2"...

After twenty years of contentious debate, Nick and Austin tackle "Climbing Up the Walls." Will Austin finally convince Nick that it's the best song on OK Computer, or will learning it on guitar diminish the appeal? Also, Nick admits to loving The Beach Boys, while Austin explains why sad songs make him happy. Look out for a surprising Pearl Jam connection, too. But the episode begins with their fa...

It's a dramatic episode this week, as Nick and Austin dig into "Let Down," "Karma Police," "Fitter Happier," and "Electioneering." Will their friendship survive after they get into a heated disagreement about one of Radiohead's most popular songs? Austin also lays out his grand theory about why he loves songs that sound like they were written on the couch, while skewering the idea that it’s possib...

Everything's off kilter this week, as Nick and Austin discuss "Airbag," "Subterranean Homesick Alien," and "Exit Music." Both gush over Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo and Juliet," while failing to even mention Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues." Austin tries to get into some Miles Davis, while Nick repeatedly gets the title of Sogyal Rinpoche's The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying wrong. (He's very...

Nick and Austin aren't exactly back to save the universe, but they have returned for season 2, where they'll explore Radiohead's 1997 classic, OK Computer . For the first episode, the two spend the entire time discussing one song, the album's first single, "Paranoid Android." They wonder how such a weird music video got played so much on MTV, and ponder if some commentators take the lyrics far too...

With The Bends out of the way, the two wade through the remaining B-sides, a trove of recordings that find the band alternating between some of its most experimental and straightforward songs to date. Austin breaks down a couple of Johnny's guitar solos, while Nick frets about Yorke's latest anti-car track. The two also discuss the history of cursing in Radiohead's catalog. The episode ends with T...

The back half of The Bends starts off with one of Radiohead's most popular songs, though Austin ponders whether "Just" might actually be the dividing line between casual and hardcore Radiohead fans. Nick remembers when his high school teacher threw the lyrics to "Black Star" in the trash. And the two admit that their guitar skills aren't as strong as they were in college while trying to tackle "St...

After a shockingly good EP, Radiohead is back with its first universally acclaimed album, The Bends. Nick barely keeps it together when praising "Planet Telex," while Austin admits to putting off learning "Bones" until the last minute. The two express some difficulties with the title track, which may ruin their memories of playing the song often in public during college. But first, Nick challenges...

This seven song EP came out one year after Pablo Honey, but almost sounds like a completely different band. Nick and Austin gush over the various guitar lines on the title track, before finding comfort in Yorke's new terrifying lyrical style. Austin admits to playing one song constantly for over twenty years, while Nick manages to come up with at least one negative thing to say.  Songs Discus...

This week the two wrap up Pablo Honey by exploring the album's less discussed back half. Austin ponders why his high school band's cover of "I Can't" didn't win the talent show, while Nick contemplates how many times Radiohead can end a song by turning the guitars all the way up. Plus, the two hold a lightning round discussion for the album's mostly unloved b-sides, only to find out one of them ha...

Is Radiohead's 1993 debut album an underappreciated gem or a blemish on an otherwise spotless discography? The two make their way through the first half, where they drop some surprisingly strong opinions about the band's most popular song, which may lead to an unprecedented amount of hate mail. Along the way, Austin ponders whether "The Air I Breathe" has creepier lyrics than "Creep." Nick becomes...

Ready to learn every Radiohead song on guitar? Nick and Austin set up the rules, and then dig into the band's first official release, the Drill EP. Released in 1992, the four songs cover a range of different styles, though it quickly becomes clear that some work better than others. Austin has harsh words for two of the tracks, while Nick admits to playing the most profane one at a church function...